Showing papers by "Protestant Theological University published in 2011"
22 citations
TL;DR: The authors argue that socialisation actually takes place in these seemingly individualised forms of sociality, yet less explicitly than in traditional forms, and explore the lessons that may be learned from the tribal forms that characterise neo-evangelicalism for religious socialisation in the contexts of church and school.
Abstract: Young Christians may be less individualised than some widely shared reflections in the literature suggest. Even though their faith may no longer be exclusively or primarily nourished in the traditional institutional contexts of family, school and church, they often prefer their faith being lived and expressed in new forms of sociality such as festivals and virtual communities. The authors describe one particular current in contemporary Christianity in which such tribal forms of sociality are rampant, namely neo-evangelicalism. They argue that socialisation actually takes place in these seemingly individualised forms of sociality, yet less explicitly than in traditional forms. Furthermore, they explore the lessons that may be learned from the tribal forms of sociality that characterise neo-evangelicalism for religious socialisation in the contexts of church and school.
15 citations
TL;DR: In this article, it is argued that the meaning of a word cannot be reduced to its use, that metaphorical language is indirect in its use of words, and that the change of meaning by analogical extension differs from the change in meaning by repeated metaphorical use.
Abstract: This article discusses whether Christian talk about God can be literal. First, it is argued that the meaning of a word cannot be reduced to its use, that metaphorical language is indirect in its use of words, and that the change of meaning of a word by analogical extension differs from the change of meaning by repeated metaphorical use. Next, it is shown that in Christian talk about God, God can be literally referred to by God's proper name, “YHWH,” and by words that in contexts of prayer and praise function as proper names. Then it is argued that terms for non-basic actions can be literally applied to the Christian God, and that some of God's essential properties can be literally described on the basis of his self-revealing actions.
5 citations
TL;DR: The structure of Luther's Catechism is discussed in this paper, where it is shown that the five parts of this Catechisms are best understood in a circular form which challenges its users to go through the material time and again.
Abstract: This contribution deals with the structure of Luther’s Catechism, one of Protestant basic texts. First an outline is given of the history of the composition of the text. Next some remarks are made on Luther’s purpose in bringing out this Catechism. The more as scholarly discussion about it raised attention is paid to the structure of Luther’s Catechism. Our conclusion is that the five parts of this Catechism are best understood in a circular form which challenges its users to go through the material time and again. Only then its specific dynamics will manifest itself which make Luther’s Catechism very suitable for instruction about the Christian Faith at several levels. Following this impetus this Catechism against a tradition of misuse as a confessional text book might be recaptured as life book which proves to be useful in handing down the relevancy of Protestant tradition in the entire faith community.
3 citations
08 May 2011
TL;DR: In this paper, a case study of learners' journeys through educational institutions from the ages of 10 to 21, presenting their learning results as measured by a range of objective tests and placing their stories in the light of a resource theory is presented.
Abstract: Dit artikel betreft een longitudinaal, overwegend kwalitatief onderzoek naar de schoolloopbaan van leerlingen. Het gehanteerde onderwijspedagogisch perspectief gaat uit van een visie op de taak van de school en op de hulpbronnen ( resources ) die bij de ontwikkeling van leerlingen een rol spelen. Uit een databestand van 239 basisschoolleerlingen op de leeftijd van tien jaar zijn drie casus-leerlingen gekozen. Deze leerlingen zijn na de basisschool op drie schooltypen terechtgekomen: vmbo, havo en vwo. Vervolgens zijn zij als jongvolwassenen uitgestroomd naar diverse situaties. Het onderzoeksdesign kan worden getypeerd als een embedded case study waarbij een methode van narrative inquiry wordt gehanteerd. Naast gegevens omtrent de cognitieve ontwikkeling zoals Cito-scores en andere toetsgegevens, zijn gegevens verzameld aan de hand van diepte-interviews met leerlingen, hun ouders en leraren. De leerlingen zijn in drie onderzoeksronden gevolgd gedurende de leeftijdsfase van 10-21 jaar. De vraagstelling is: Hoe verloopt de schoolloopbaan van leerlingen van 10-21 jaar, hoe wordt dit verloop door hen ervaren en wat is de betekenis van 'resources' in de ontwikkeling van deze leerlingen? Het artikel beschrijft vanuit het perspectief van de leerling hoe schoolloopbanen verlopen. Bij de analyse wordt ingegaan op de betekenis van resources in de schoolloopbaan. Het talent van een leerling - zoals dat tot uitdrukking komt in de prestaties op een reeks objectieve toetsen - lijkt doorslaggevend. Van motivatie en inzet kan een compenserende werking uitgaan. Gezondheid of ziekte speelt soms een cruciale rol in de schoolloopbaan. De betekenis van ouders en leraren wordt vooral zichtbaar op de breukvlakken in de schoolloopbaan. Abstract In the last few decades considerable progress has been made in the empirical study of school careers. Somewhat surprisingly perhaps, students themselves have hardly had a voice in the majority of these large scale quantitative studies. This article is an attempt to redress the balance: not only will the students, their parents and their teachers receive a voice, they will also be given 'a face'. We follow the students on their journeys through educational institutions from the ages of 10 to 21, presenting their learning results as measured by a range of objective tests and placing their stories in the light of a resource theory. Some of the students will be seen advancing smoothly from primary education to the tertiary sector, while others will be seen falling by the wayside. The following main questions will be addressed in the investigation: (1) How do the school careers of 10-to-21 year-old students develop? (2) How are these careers experienced by the students themselves? (3) What explanations can be given from a resource-theoretical perspective? We will describe and analyse in detail the school careers of three students in a longitudinal research framework characterisable as a longitudinal 'embedded case study'. In the context of this design the stories of the students and their teachers will be the main focus. However, this statement of focus does not imply a simple description of the experiences and perspectives of the people concerned. Rather, in this work we endeavour to connect the students' 'small stories' to the 'grand stories' of the theory of school careers. The main conclusion from this research is that talent - as measured by scores on a series of objective tests at the ages of ten and twelve years - is the most influential resource in later school success, but that strong motivation has a compensating effect. Real 'survivors' sometimes achieve their aim by overcoming great barriers. Parents and teachers also play a very important role in particular at the transition points.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a reading of Krog's Begging to be Black, a practical reading of a book that presents a hermeneutical key to the practices of life, and maybe also the practice of faith.
Abstract: An expose on Antjie Krog’s Begging to be Black might be a contribution to this conference on ‘Covert violence and human dignity’. What I present today, is a reading of this book, a practical theological reading. The book itself presents a hermeneutical key to the practices of life, and maybe also the practices of faith. Krog’s hermeneutics is familiar to the four dimensions within a cyclical process of discerning: description, interpretation, normativity, strategy. These hermeneutical dimensions could be found in Begging to be Black, and we might even read them in all of Krog’s prose. I start with how Krog describes reality, followed by how she interprets this reality and how she reflects on the interpretation with a normative edge to it, completed with some practical, strategic suggestions. Krog shows that interconnectedness is the only way to survive violence and to preserve human dignity.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this article, it is argued that there is a strong correlation between the mechanism of redemption and the nature of Christ, which is demonstrated by making use of the conception of "Christus Victor" as put to the fore by Gustav Aulen.
Abstract: Although redemption is a central Christian confessional statement, the mechanism of redemption gets little attention in the New Testament as well as in the early creeds. The hot debate of early Christianity was the debate on the nature of Christ. In this article it is argued, however, that there is a strong correlation between the mechanism of redemption and the nature of Christ. This is demonstrated by making use of the conception of "Christus Victor" as put to the fore by Gustav Aulen in his 1930 book. With this conception in mind Irenaeus of Lyon's The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching and the hymn in Philippians are subsequently examined on this correlation. In this way it is explained how in early orthodoxy the confession that Jesus Christ is true God was at the same time a confession on the question of redemption.